Transition Challenges

In many ways, the Republican primary process has been a transitional process, and as expected with transitions, it often looks messy. So far, four states have had caucuses or primaries: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida, and there have been three winners, Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Former Speaker of the House (my dad) Newt Gingrich.

Of the nine candidates that had announced at one time or another during this primary, only four are left -- the three above and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. As the results for the Florida primary came in Tuesday night, only two of the candidates were in the state of Florida, Gingrich and Romney (the winner of Florida). At this point, with four states completed, only 5 percent of the total delegates have been awarded. While many pundits might attempt to call the national nomination based on only a few states, there is still a long way to go to secure the nomination.

The next phase of the race will move from state-to-state primaries (so far, each contest has been stand-alone, one after the other) to multiple states and multiple rapid dates. This is a transitional period for all the Republican candidates, and while it might sometimes have the appearance of a construction zone, the belief is that the end product, the ability to articulate the core message of conservatism, will be worth the messy transitional phase.

For those who decry the process as too messy and too complicated, I'd like to say that it's a whole lot better than living in a totalitarian regime, or being involved in a revolution. Our founders fought for our freedom, so we would have the opportunity to go through this sometimes messy, but always necessary, process.

Flying back from Orlando, Fla., as I write, I'm looking forward to seeing the completed bathroom, mirror and all.

Jackie Gingrich Cushman is a speaker, syndicated columnist, socialpreneur, and author of "The Essential American: 25 Documents and Speeches Every American Should Own," and co-author of “The 5 Principles for a Successful Life: From Our Family to Yours”.